A New York firefighter has been cleared of choking his transsexual model ex-girlfriend during a fight in their Manhattan hotel bedroom.

Jurors yesterday threw out the felony strangulation charge, which carries a penalty of seven years jail, against Taylor Murphy and also cleared him of witness-tampering.

Transsexual Claudia Charriez, a former escort and contestant on television show America's Next Top Model, had accused her former lover of attacking her in a Midtown hotel in August last year.

Courting: Taylor Murphy and his new transsexual girlfriend Wanda Batista after the trial yesterday

But Murphy could still be jailed for
four years and lose his job after being found guilty of contempt for violating a protection order by calling,
texting and emailing Miss Charriez more than 1,000 times in the five
months following his arrest.

He was also convicted by the Manhattan Supreme Court jury of a misdemeanor
assault and of criminal mischief for smashing Miss Charriez's mobile phone.

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The 29-year-old, who is dating
transsexual Wanda Batista, has since spoken of his fear after someone scrawled
'f*****' on his fire department locker.

Mixed verdict: Murphy was cleared of a strangulation charge but convicted of assault and contempt

Cleared: Jurors threw out the most serious charge against Murphy, which carries a penalty of seven years jail.

Murphy, who admitted wanted to commit
suicide out of humiliation, believes he will be harassed if he stays in
the service, having been publicly outed as a bisexual who prefers the
company of flashy transsexuals.

He told theDaily News: 'Once you do that, you're not part of the Fire Department. That's part of why I tried to kill myself.'

Murphy's lawyers had dismissed Miss
Charriez, 31, as being jealous of her ex-boyfriend seeing other people, including
Miss Batista, and that the dispute in question was nothing more than a
lovers' quarrel.

Choke claims: Claudia Charriez demonstrates to the courtroom how she was attacked

Humiliation: Murphy, pictured with Miss Batista, admitted he has considered suicide since being outed

The 6ft 4ins firefighter said: 'I wish the best for her. I wish she gets a sense of reality.'

Murphy also opened up about another
former lover, Lorena Escalera, who was found dead in a New York building
following a fire.

He said he had blamed Miss Charriez for spreading
rumours that he was involved in her death.

The Ladder Co. 1 firefighter, once a FDNY calendar model and 'troubled heavy-drinker', lives with Miss
Batista, who has described her boyfriend as he 'big teddy bear'

Transgender: Claudia Charriez who was kicked off American's Next Top Model in 2006 for being born a man

'Hunky': Taylor Murphy is best known for his topless firefighters calendar

Miss Charriez - who was kicked off America's Next Top Model in 2006 for being born a man - had sobbed on
the witness stand that she still loves Murphy and admitted, under questioning, to several inconsistencies in her report to police.

She also confessed to sending numerous
love-and-hate text messages to Murphy after the alleged beating -
including telling him after his arrest: 'Enjoy sucking your cell mate's
d***.'

Miss Charriez had claimed Murphy attacked her in a jealous rage after seeing her talking to men at the strip club Flash Dancers.

Ex: Claudia Charriez, a former escort, sobbed at the witness stand and admitted she still love Murphy